Dynamically updating content in e-mail

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems of dynamically updating content in e-mail messages are described. In some embodiments, an e-mail message is generated. The e-mail message comprises existing content viewable within an e-mail client and is configured to initiate a modification of the existing content within the e-mail message by the e-mail client subsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client. The modification of the existing content is viewable within the e-mail client. The generated e-mail message is sent to an e-mall account from which a user can view the e-mail message within the e-mail client. In some embodiments, the e-mail message is further configured to cause the e-mail client to obtain new content from a remote server for use in the modification of the existing content within the e-mail message.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No.14/192,547, filed on Feb. 27, 2014, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates generally to e-mail. In some specificexamples, the present disclosure relates to methods, systems andcomputer program products for dynamically updating content in e-mailmessages.

BACKGROUND

E-mail messages can contain content that becomes outdated by the time auser views them. For example an e-mail message may contain informationabout news events or events related to social network websites to whichthe recipient of the e-mail message belongs. Because events related tothis information may continue to occur after the e-mail message is sentto the recipient, the original information included in the e-mailmessage may become stale or outdated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way ofexample and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings,in which like reference numbers indicate similar elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for dynamically updatingcontent of an e-mail message, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIGS. 2A-2B are display diagrams illustrating different stages ofdynamically updating content of an e-mail message, in accordance withsome embodiments;

FIGS. 3A-3C are display diagrams illustrating different stages ofdynamically updating content of an e-mail message, in accordance withsome embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of dynamically updatingcontent of an e-mail message, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating another method of dynamicallyupdating content of an e-mail message, in accordance with someembodiments; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example computer system on whichmethodologies described herein may be executed, in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example methods and systems of dynamically updating content in e-mailmessages are described. In the following description, for purposes ofexplanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of example embodiments. It will be evident,however, to one skilled in the art that the present embodiments may bepracticed without these specific details.

In some embodiments, a method comprises generating an e-mail messagecomprising existing content viewable within an e-mail client. The e-mailmessage can be configured to initiate (or trigger) a modification of theexisting content within the e-mail message by the e-mail clientsubsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client.The modification of the existing content can be viewable within thee-mail client. The generated e-mail message can then be sent to ane-mail account (e.g., an e-mail server on which the account is managed)from which a user can view the e-mail message within the e-mail client.

In some embodiments, the e-mail message is further configured to causethe e-mail client to obtain new content from a remote server for use inthe modification of the existing content within the e-mail message. Insome embodiments, the e-mail message comprises an IFrame elementconfigured to cause the e-mail client to obtain the new content from theremote server.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises including a metaelement in the new content. The meta element can be configured to causethe e-mail client to load a specified Uniform Resource Locator (URL) andto obtain subsequent new content from the specified URL for a subsequentmodification of the modified existing content within the e-mail message.In some embodiments, the meta element is further configured to cause thee-mail client to load the specified URL at a specified time. In someembodiments, the method further comprises periodically including a metaelement in periodic new content supplied to the e-mail client for use inperiodic modifications to the modified existing content within thee-mail message. In some embodiments, the method further comprisesdetermining a stop time at which to finish the periodic modifications tothe modified existing content, and causing the termination of theperiodic modifications to the modified existing content.

In some embodiments, the new content comprises information from a socialnetworking website. In some embodiments, the existing content comprisesa selectable graphical user interface element configured to initiate anaction. In some embodiments, the selectable graphical user interfaceelement is configured to cause, in response to its selection, theloading of a page from which the action can be performed.

The methods or embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as acomputer system having one or more modules (e.g., hardware modules orsoftware modules). Such modules may be executed by one or moreprocessors of the computer system. The methods or embodiments disclosedherein may be embodied as instructions stored on a machine-readablemedium that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one ormore processors to perform the instructions.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the various aspects of different embodiments of thepresent disclosure. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in theart, that the present disclosure may be practiced without all of thespecific details.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 for dynamicallyupdating content of an e-mail message, in accordance with someembodiments. The system 100 may comprise a dynamic content module 116.In some embodiments, the dynamic content module 1116 resides on a servermachine 110 having a memory 112 and at least one processor 114. Thedynamic content module 116 can be configured to generate a self-updatinge-mail message 130 that comprises dynamic content that can be updatedeven after the e-mail message 130 is sent. As a result, even if thee-mail message 130 comprises content that becomes inaccurate orirrelevant subsequent to the e-mail message being sent, the content ofthe e-mail message 130 can dynamically change while the e-mail message130 is waiting in an inbox of the recipient. By the time the recipientopens the e-mail message 130, such as via an e-mail client 126 on acomputing device 120 having a memory 122 and at least one processor 124,the content of the e-mail message 130 may have been modified to reflectmore accurate or more relevant information. The computing device 120 mayinclude, but is not limited to, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, asmart phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computing device, anothertype of mobile device, or any other programmable machine. The e-mailclient 126 may comprise any computer program used to access and manage auser's e-mail.

In some embodiments, the dynamic content module 116 is configured togenerate an e-mail message 130 comprising existing content viewablewithin the e-mail client 126. The dynamic content module 116 canconfigure e-mail message 130 to initiate a modification, by the e-mailclient 126, of the existing content within the e-mail message 130 by thee-mail client 126 subsequent to the e-mail message 130 being sent by thedynamic content module 116. In some embodiments, the e-mail message 130is configured to initiate the modification by the e-mail client 126subsequent to the e-mail message 130 being downloaded by the e-mailclient 126. The e-mail message 130 may be sent to an e-mail account fromwhich the recipient can view the e-mail message 130 within the e-mailclient 126. Any modification to the content of the e-mail message 130may be viewable within the e-mail client 126 so that the recipient viewsthe most up to date information when viewing the opened e-mail message130.

In some embodiments, the e-mail message 130 is further configured by thedynamic content module 116 to cause the e-mail client 126 to obtain newcontent 132 from a remote server. The new content 132 can be used in themodification of the existing content within the e-mail message 130. Insome embodiments, the new content 132 comprises information (e.g.,profile information, news feed information, information about jobopenings, event information) from a social networking website (e.g.,LinkedIn® or Facebook®). However, it is contemplated that the newcontent 132 may comprise information from other types of websites aswell. Although FIG. 1 shows the new content 132 being obtained from theserver machine 110, the new content 132 may be obtained from othersources as well.

The e-mail message 130 can be configured to cause the e-mail client 126to repeatedly obtain new content at periodic intervals. For example, thee-mail client 126 can obtain new content 1321 at a first time, thenobtain new content 132-2 at a second time after the first time, and soon and so forth N number of times. In some embodiments, the N number oftimes may be capped, as it may be undesirable to periodically update thee snail message forever. Such endless retrieval of new content andmodification of existing content using the new content could negativelyaffect the battery life of the computing device 120, which would beespecially troublesome for mobile devices. In some embodiments, URLquery parameters can be included in the snail message 130 or in the newcontent 132 to help calculate when to finish the periodic updating.Other techniques of limiting the amount of updates may also be employed.

Any of the communication described herein between any of the systems,devices, or modules (e.g., any communication between the dynamic contentmodule 116 and the computing device 120) can be achieved via one or morenetworks. The network(s) may include any network that enablescommunication between or among machines, databases, and devices.Accordingly, the network(s) may include a wired network, a wirelessnetwork (e.g., a mobile or cellular network), or any suitable cornthereof. The network(s) may include one or more portions that constitutea private network, a public network (e.g., the Internet), or anysuitable combination thereof. Other configurations are also within thescope of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2B are display diagrams illustrating different stages ofdynamically updating content of an e-mail message 130, in accordancewith some embodiments. In FIG. 2A, a list of e-mail messages, showingMessages 1-7, is displayed within the e-mail client 126 on the computingdevice 120. Although Message 2 has not yet been opened, FIG. 2A showsthe contents of this e-mail message 130 to the right of the computingdevice 120. As previously discussed, e-mail message 130 in can compriseexisting content 210 at one point in time. However, subsequent to thee-mail message 130 being sent or subsequent to the e-mail message 130being downloaded by the e-mail client 126, the existing content 210 canbe modified by the e-mail client. FIG. 2B shows a modified version 130′of the e-mail message 130 being opened and displayed in the e-mailclient 126 at a subsequent point in time from the point in time of FIG.2A. In FIG. 2B, the modified existing content 210′ comprises the newcontent 132, which was not included in the previous existing content 210in FIG. 2A. Additionally, original content 212 that was included in theunmodified existing content 210 of the unmodified e-mail message 130 inFIG. 2A can be removed and absent from the modified existing content210′ of the modified e-mail message 130′ in FIG. 2B.

In some embodiments, the computing device 120 may be offline when thee-mail message 130 is opened. In this case, the e-mail message 130 canstill be displayed by the e-mail client 126 (because it has already beendownloaded), but the e-mail client 126 will be unable to fetch thedynamic content from the server machine 110 (or from some other sourceof the dynamic content). One option in this case is to leave blank thearea where the dynamic content would otherwise be displayed. However,the blank space might be confusing to the user. Another option is tohave the content of the e-mail message 130 fall back to the content atthe time when the e-mail message 130 was sent (e.g., the originalcontent 212). This can be achieved by positioning the new content 132above the original content 212. If the new content 132 fails to load,then the e-mail message 130 simply continues to show the originalcontent 212. This way, the content of the e-mail message 130 will bedynamically updated -when possible, but it is still present (albeitpossibly outdated) if there is no network connection.

The dynamic updating features disclosed herein can be applied to manydifferent use cases. They may be particularly useful in use casesinvolving frequently changing and newly added information, such as withinformation from social network services (e.g., LinkedIn® and Facebook®)and online news services. The features of the present disclosure can beused to provide updates of various types of content, including, but notlimited to, a social network profile status, social network relationshipstatus (e.g., whether members are “connected” or not), and what news andprofessional content is popular or trending at the moment. Other typesof content and use cases are also within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the dynamic content module 116 can also beconfigured to enable the recipient of the e-mail message 130 to initiatethe loading of a page within another application 128 (e.g., a webbrowser or a mobile application) on the computing device 120 whileviewing the opened e-mail message 130 within the e-mail client 126. Asthe recipient is viewing the loaded page within the other application128, the recipient can cause the performance of an action from withinthat page (or from another page associated with the same website orapplication). After completion of the action, the recipient may returnto the e-mail client 126 on the computing device 120, where amodification of the e-mail message 130 can be displayed to the recipientwithin the e-mail client 126. This modification can reflect theperformance of the action.

FIGS. 3A-3C are display diagrams illustrating different stages ofdynamically updating content of an e-mail message, in accordance withsome embodiments. In FIG. 3A, the existing content of the e-mail message130 is being viewed within the e-mail client 126 on the computing device120. The existing content 3110 can comprise a selectable graphical userinterface (GUI) element 310 configured to initiate an action. As seen inFIG. 3B, in some embodiments, the selectable GUI element 310 isconfigured to cause, in response to its selection, the loading of a page320 from which the action can be performed. The page 320 can be loadedwithin another application on the computing device 120, such as within aweb browser 128. The page 320 may comprise content 322 related to theselected GUI element 310. This content 322 may comprise anotherselectable GUI element 324 with which the recipient may cause theperformance of an action. After the performance of this action, therecipient may be returned to the e-mail client 126 on the computingdevice 120, where he or she may be presented with a modified version ofthe e-mail message 130′ having a modified version of the existingcontent 210′. The modified version of the existing content 210′ maycomprise or otherwise be based on new content 132 that has been obtainedby the e-mail client 126 subsequent to the performance of the action,thereby enabling the modified version of the e-mail message 130′ beingviewed by the recipient to reflect the performance of the action.

In one example, the e-mail message 130 in FIG. 3A can be a message froma social networking website and reflect in the existing content 210 thatthe recipient is not connected with another member of the socialnetworking website. The e-mail message 130 can comprise an invitation toconnect with the other member via the selectable GUI element 310. Therecipient can select the selectable GUI element 310 and be taken to apage 320 of the social networking website, in FIG. 3B, where therecipient can connect with the other member or invite the other memberto be connect with the recipient, such as via a selection of theselectable GUI element 324. When the recipient returns to the e-mailclient 126 in FIG. 3C, a modified version of the e-mail message 130′ maybe displayed, with its modified existing content 210′ reflecting thefact that the recipient is now connected with the other member or hasinvited the other member to connect on the social networking website. Anindication of this new status related to the other member may bepresented as the new content 132. This dynamic updating can be appliedto any selectable button in an e-mail message 130 that initiates anaction. Other examples are also within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

It is contemplated that the dynamic content module 116 may use a varietyof different techniques to configure the e-mail message 130 to cause thee-mail client 126 to obtain the new content 132. In some embodiments,the dynamic content module 116 inserts an IFrame element into the e-mailmessage 130. This IFrame element can be configured to cause the e-mailclient 126 to obtain the new content 132. In some embodiments, theIFrame element may be integrated into the body of the e-mail message130. An example of an HTML body incorporating an IFrame element mayinclude the following:

<html> <body> <p>Hello email reader</p> <iframe class=“widget”src=“https://example.com/emails/new-content” /> </body> </html>

The IFrame can then be styled with Cascading Style Sheets to either callit out as a separate part of the e-mail message 130 that updatesdynamically, or the IFrame can be made borderless, and the new content132 that is loaded can itself be styled to look like the original e-mailmessage 130. The latter option helps the dynamic content appear to therecipient as a fairly seamless part of the original e-mail message 130.

By using the above technique, in some embodiments, content can be shownto the user that is generated at the time an e-mail message 130 isopened, rather than at the time the e-mail message 130 was downloaded.

In some embodiments, the page that“https://example.com/emails/new-content” in the above example respondswith is a standard HTML document. This technique can be extended furtherby having that new page contain instructions for when it should beautomatically reloaded. For example, to have the dynamic content refreshitself every 5 seconds, the /emails/new-content document may itselfcontain a <meta> HTML tag, thus:

<html> <head> <meta http-equiv=“refresh”content=“5;https://example.com/emails/new- content”/> </head> <body><!-- content goes here --> </body> </html>

In some embodiments, the meta element tells the e-mail client 126 thatin 5 seconds it should load the specified URL to replace the existingIFrame content. The document that is loaded from that subsequent URL,can either also contain a meta tag to ensure that another refreshoccurs, or it can omit a meta tag if periodic updates are complete.

In addition to the meta http-equiv=“refresh” technique discussed above,an HTTP Refresh header can also be employed within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

Another technique that can be employed is to include adynamically-generated image in the e-mail message 130. Similar to theIFrame contents, the image could be fetched from a server. The contentsof the image can be generated by the server on demand, so that thecontents of the image can he up-to-date.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 400 of dynamicallyupdating content of an e-mail message, in accordance with someembodiments. It is contemplated that the operations of method 400 may beperformed by a system or modules of a system (e.g., dynamic contentmodule 1116 in FIG. 1). At operation 4110, an e-mail message 130comprising existing content 210 viewable within an e-mail client 126 canbe generated. The e-mail message 130 can be configured to initiate amodification of the existing content 210 within the e-mail message 130by the e-mail client 126 subsequent to the e-mail message 130 beingdownloaded by the e-mail client 126. The modification of the existingcontent 210′ can be viewable within the e-mail client. At operation 420,the generated e-mail message 130 can then be sent to an e-mail accountfrom which a user can view the e-mail message 130 within the e-mailclient 126. At operation 430, new content 132 can be provided to thee-mail client 126 for use in modifying the existing content 210 withinthe e-mail message 130. At operation 440, it is determined whether ornot the content of the e-mail message 130 should be updated again aftera certain period of time. If it is determine that another dynamic updateof the content in the e-mail message 130 should be performed, then themethod 400 returns to operation 430, where subsequent new content 132can be provided to the e-mail client 126 for use in modifying thecontent within the e-mail message 130. If it is determined that anotherdynamic update should not be performed, then the method 400 may come toan end. It is contemplated that the operations of method 400 mayincorporate any of the other features disclosed herein.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 500 of dynamicallyupdating content of an e-mail message, in accordance with someembodiments. It is contemplated that the operations of method 500 may beperformed by a system or modules of a system (e.g., e-mail client 126 inFIG. 1). At operation 510, an e-mail message 130 can be received. Thee-mail message 130 can comprise existing content 210 viewable within ane-mail client 126. At operation 520, new content 132 can he obtainedfrom a remote server. This operation may be performed in response tocode within the e-mail message 130. At operation 530, the existingcontent 210 of the e-mail message 130 can be modified using the newcontent 132. At operation 540, it is determined whether or not thecontent of the e-mail message 130 should be updated again after acertain period of time. If it is determined that another dynamic updateof the content in the e-mail message 130 should be performed, then themethod 500 returns to operation 520, where subsequent new content 132can be obtained for use in modifying the content within the e-mailmessage 130. In some embodiments, a wait operation 550 can be performedbefore the method 500 returns to operation 520, in order to accommodatea refresh time (e.g., a 5-second refresh time). If it is determined thatanother dynamic update should not he performed, then the method 500 maycome to an end. It is contemplated that the operations of method 500 mayincorporate any of the other features disclosed herein.

The features of the present disclosure enable a user to be presentedwith fresh up-to-date information or data relating to an e-mail messageevery time the user opens that e-mail message. For example, a user canbe sent an email message that refers to an event occurring at a specificdate, time, or place. After the message is sent, unbeknownst to thesender, the event is moved to a different date, time, or place. When theuser opens the e-mail message, the user is presented with the mostup-to-date date, time, or place for the event, regardless of what thosespecifics were in the originally sent e-mail message.

The techniques and features disclosed herein can be applied to bothmessages that are downloaded by an e-mail client, as well as messagesdownloaded by an e-mail server accessible by the e-mail client forviewing of e-mail messages sent to the user (e.g., an e-mail serverhosting and managing the e-mails of the user's e-mail account). Thetechniques and features disclosed herein can be applied to both anIMAP-style implementation, as well as a POP-style implementation.

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implementedmodules, engines, objects or devices that operate to perform one or moreoperations or functions. The modules, engines, objects and devicesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules, engines, objects and/or devices.

Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partiallyprocessor-implemented. For example, at least some of the operations of amethod may be performed by one or more processors orprocessor-implemented modules. The performance of certain operations maybe distributed among the one or more processors, not only residingwithin a single machine or computer, but deployed across a number ofmachines or computers. In some example embodiments, the processor orprocessors may be located in a single location (e.g., within a homeenvironment, an office environment or at a server farm), while in otherembodiments the processors may be distributed across a number oflocations.

Modules, Components and Logic

Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic or a numberof components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may constitute eithersoftware modules (e.g., code embodied (1) on a non-transitorymachine-readable medium or (2) in a transmission signal) orhardware-implemented modules. A hardware-implemented module is tangibleunit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured orarranged in a certain manner. In example embodiments, one or morecomputer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computer system)or one or more processors may be configured by software (e.g., anapplication or application portion) as a hardware-implemented modulethat operates to perform certain operations as described herein.

In various embodiments, a hardware-implemented module may be implementedmechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware-implementedmodule may comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanentlyconfigured (e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC)) to perform certain operations. A hardware-implementedmodule may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry (e.g., asencompassed within a general-purpose processor or other programmableprocessor) that is temporarily configured by software to perform certainoperations. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement ahardware-implemented module mechanically, in dedicated and permanentlyconfigured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g.,configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations.

Accordingly, the term “hardware-implemented module” should be understoodto encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physicallyconstructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired) or temporarily ortransitorily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certainmanner and/or to perform certain operations described herein.Considering embodiments in which hardware-implemented modules aretemporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of thehardware-implemented modules need not be configured or instantiated atany one instance in time. For example, where the hardware-implementedmodules comprise a general-purpose processor configured using software,the general-purpose processor may be configured as respective differenthardware-implemented modules at different times. Software mayaccordingly configure a processor, for example, to constitute aparticular hardware-implemented module at one instance of time and toconstitute a different hardware-implemented module at a differentinstance of time.

Hardware-implemented modules can provide information to, and receiveinformation from, other hardware-implemented modules. Accordingly, thedescribed hardware-implemented modules may be regarded as beingcommunicatively coupled. Where multiple of such hardware-implementedmodules exist contemporaneously, communications may he achieved throughsignal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) thatconnect the hardware-implemented modules. In embodiments in whichmultiple hardware-implemented modules are configured or instantiated atdifferent times, communications between such hardware-implementedmodules may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrievalof information in memory structures to which the multiplehardware-implemented modules have access. For example, onehardware-implemented module may perform an operation, and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further hardware-implemented module may then,at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process thestored output. Hardware-implemented modules may also initiatecommunications with input or output devices, and can operate on aresource (e.g., a collection of information).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modulesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules.

Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partiallyprocessor-implemented. For example, at least some of the operations of amethod may be performed by, one or more processors orprocessor-implemented modules. The performance of certain of theoperations may be distributed among the one or more processors, not onlyresiding within a single machine, but deployed across a number ofmachines. In some example embodiments, the processor or processors maybe located in a single location (e.g., within a home environment, anoffice environment or as a server farm), while in other embodiments theprocessors may be distributed across a number of locations.

The one or more processors may also operate to support performance ofthe relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a“software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of theoperations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples ofmachines including processors), these operations being accessible via anetwork (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces(e.g., Application Program Interfaces (APIs).)

Electronic Apparatus and System

Example embodiments may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry,or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them.Example embodiments may be implemented using a computer program product,e.g., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier,e.g., in a machine-readable medium for execution by, or to control theoperation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor,a computer, or multiple computers.

A computer program can be written in any form of programming language,including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed inany form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, subroutine,or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computerprogram can he deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiplecomputers at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

In example embodiments, operations may be performed by one or moreprogrammable processors executing a computer program to performfunctions by operating on input data and generating output. Methodoperations can also be performed by, and apparatus of exampleembodiments may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry,e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC).

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. Inembodiments deploying a programmable computing system, it will beappreciated that that both hardware and software architectures meritconsideration. Specifically, it will be appreciated that the choice ofwhether to implement certain functionality in permanently configuredhardware (e.g., an ASIC); in temporarily configured hardware (e.g., acombination of software and a programmable processor), or a combinationof permanently and temporarily configured hardware may be a designchoice. Below are set out hardware (e.g., machine) and softwarearchitectures that may be deployed, in various example embodiments,

Example Machine Architecture and Machine-Readable Medium

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example computer system 600 on whichmethodologies described herein may be executed, in accordance with anexample embodiment. In alternative embodiments, the machine operates asa standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to othermachines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in thecapacity of a server or a client machine in server-client networkenvironment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed)network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), atablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), acellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further,while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The example computer system 600 includes a processor 602 (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (CPU) orboth), a main memory 604 and a static memory 606, which communicate witheach other via a bus 608. The computer system 600 may further include avideo display unit 610 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or acathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer-system 600 also includes analphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard or a touch-sensitivedisplay screen), a user interface (UI) navigation device 614 (e.g., amouse), a disk drive unit 615, a signal generation device 618 (e.g., aspeaker) and a network interface device 620.

Machine-Readable Medium

The disk drive unit 616 includes a machine-readable medium 622 on whichis stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g.,software) 624 embodying or utilized by an one or more of themethodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 624 mayalso reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory604 and/or within the processor 602 during execution thereof by thecomputer system 600, the main memory 604 and the processor 602 alsoconstituting machine-readable media.

While the machine-readable medium 522 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include asingle medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributeddatabase, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one ormore instructions or data. structures. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that iscapable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution bythe machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure, or that is capable of storing,encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with suchinstructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly betaken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, andoptical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable mediainclude non-volatile memory, including by, way of example semiconductormemory devices, e.g., Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM),Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flashmemory devices, magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removabledisks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

Transmission Medium

The instructions 624 may further be transmitted or received over acommunications network 526 using a transmission medium. The instructions624 may be transmitted using the network interface device 620 and anyone of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examplesof communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a widearea network (“WAN”), the Internet, mobile telephone networks, Plain OldTelephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., WiFi andWiMax networks). The term “transmission medium” shall be taken toinclude any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding orcarrying instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digitalor analog communications signals or other intangible media to facilitatecommunication of such software.

Although an embodiment has been described with reference to specificexample embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications andchanges may be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawings that form a parthereof, show by way of illustration, and not of limitation, specificembodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. Theembodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enablethose skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein.Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such thatstructural and logical substitutions and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description,therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope ofvarious embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along withthe full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the abovedescription.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method comprising:generating, by a machine having a memory and at least one processor, ane-mail message comprising existing content viewable within an e-mailclient, the e-mail message being configured to initiate a modificationof the existing content within the e-mail message by the e-mail clientsubsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client,the modification of the existing content being viewable within thee-mail client, and the e-mail message being further configured to cause,prior to the e-mail message being opened, the e-mail client to obtainnew content from a remote server for use in the modification of theexisting content within the e-mail message; and sending, by the machine,the generated e-mail message to an e-mail account from which a user canview the e-mail message within the e-mail client.
 2. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the e-mail message isfurther configured to perform periodic modifications to the modifiedexisting content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message causingthe e-mail client to repeatedly retrieve periodic new content atperiodic intervals to use in the periodic modifications.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: determininga stop time at which to finish the periodic modifications to themodified existing content; and causing the termination of the periodicmodifications to the modified. existing content.
 4. Thecomputer-implemented method claim 1, wherein the e-mail messagecomprises an IFrame element configured to cause the e-mail client toobtain the new content from the remote server.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising including ameta element in the new content, wherein the meta element is configuredto cause the e-mail client to load a specified Uniform Resource Locator(URL) and to obtain subsequent new content from the specified URL for asubsequent modification of the modified existing content within thee-mail message.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, whereinthe meta element is further configured to cause the e-mail client toload the specified URL at a specified time.
 7. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, wherein the new content comprises information from asocial networking website.
 8. The computer-implemented method of claimI, wherein the existing content comprises a selectable graphical userinterface element configured to initiate an action.
 9. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the selectable graphicaluser interface element is configured to cause, in response to itsselection, a loading of a page from which the action can be performed.10. A system comprising: at least one hardware processor; and anon-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructionsthat, when executed by a processor, cause the at least one hardwareprocessor to perform operations, the operations comprising: generatingan e-mail message comprising existing content viewable within an e-mailclient, the e-mail message being configured to initiate a modificationof the existing content within the e-mail message by the e-mail clientsubsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client,the modification of the existing content being viewable within thee-mail client, and the e-mail message being further configured to cause,prior to the e-mail message being opened, the e-mail client to obtainnew content from a remote server for use in the modification of theexisting content within the e-mail message; and sending the generatede-mail message to an e-mail account from which a user can view thee-mail message within the e-mail client.
 11. The system of claim 10;wherein the e-mail message is further configured to perform periodicmodifications to the modified existing content within the e-mailmessage, the e-mail message causing the e-mail client to repeatedlyretrieve periodic new content at periodic intervals to use in theperiodic modifications.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein theoperations further comprise: determining a stop time at which to finishthe periodic modifications to the modified existing content; and causingthe termination of the periodic modifications to the modified existingcontent.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the e-mail messagecomprises an IFrame element configured to cause the e-mail client toobtain the new content from the remote server.
 14. The system of claim10, wherein the operations further comprise including a meta element inthe new content, wherein the meta element is configured to cause thee-mail client to load a specified Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and toobtain subsequent new content from the specified URL for a subsequentmodification of the modified existing content within the e-mail message.15. The system of claim 14, wherein the meta element is furtherconfigured to cause the e-mail client to load the specified URL at aspecified time.
 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the new contentcomprises information from a social networking website.
 17. The systemof claim 10, wherein the existing content comprises a selectablegraphical user interface element configured to initiate an action. 18.The system of claim 17, wherein the selectable graphical user interfaceelement is configured to cause, in response to its selection, a loadingof a page from which the action can be performed.
 19. A non-transitorymachine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, whenexecuted by a processor, cause at least one hardware processor toperform operations, the operations comprising: generating an e-mailmessage comprising existing content viewable within an e-mail client,the e-mail message being configured to initiate a modification of theexisting content within the e-mail message by the e-mail clientsubsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client,the modification of the existing content being viewable within thee-mail client, and the e-mail message being further configured to cause,prior to the e-mail message being opened, the e-mail client to obtainnew content from a remote server for use in the modification of theexisting content within the e-mail message; and sending the generatede-mail message to an e-mail account from which a user can view thee-mail message within the e-mail client.
 20. The non-transitorymachine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the e-mail message isfurther configured to perform periodic modifications to the modifiedexisting content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message causingthe e-mail client to repeatedly retrieve periodic new content atperiodic intervals to use in the periodic modifications.